MANSELL, William

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 496

10 Lower Court, Windsor Castle

July 22^nd 1819

Sir,

I hope and beg you will be good enough to pardon the liberty I take in writing to you on the following subject. A short time since I wrote to Mr. VANSITTART and stated to him my great desire to go out and settle at the Cape of Good Hope & beg'd to know if any assistance would be given by Government to those who would go out and settle there.

In his answer to me of the 21^st, he says, all the information which Government can afford upon the subject of emigration to the Cape will be obtained upon application to Lord BATHURSTs Department, and if I address myself to Mr GUILBURN [sic], I shall be furnished with a statement of the conditions upon which it is proposed to encourage settlers proceeding to that destination.

Under that direction I take the liberty of requesting you will be kind enough to give me some information, and any direction on the subject, how to proceed, which you may be pleased to add, I shall most gratefully acknowledge.

On a former occasion, when two daughters were going out with me to Ceylon I received then a kindness from you relative to their passage, for which I still beg leave to offer you my warmest thanks, and should any occasion ever occur to acknowledge it, I should [be] much gratified.

In my letter to Mr. VANSITTART, I stated to him, that, as I was a Lieut. In the 84^th Regt. 2^nd Batt. At the first taking of the Cape of Good Hope & there at the time, and since that, twice to India as Paymaster of the 66^th Regt. And now on half pay, & that if occasion required, I could get persons of consideration to be refered to, as to my character & I hoped under all these considerations to merit the consideration of Government in a passage, and any assistance as a settler, they may be pleased to grant.

I forgot to mention to Mr VANSITTART that about 12 or 13 years since, I proposed to Mr WINDHAM the settlement of the Cape of Good Hope, and stated what I conceived would be the advantages both to this country & our settlements further to the East, and the words of Mr WINDHAM in answer to me were “That the matter and the manner of my letter demanded consideration, and that he would think on the subject, and if any arose out of it, I should not be forgotten.”

I am, Sir, your most obedient humble servant

William MANSELL

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 529

10 Lower Court, Windsor Castle

July 28, 1819

Sir,

I beg leave to offer you my thanks for your communication of the 23^rd of July, relative to the Cape of Good Hope, and in compliance with the printed directions, take the liberty of mentioning some particulars of my circumstances, to show to Government, that I am not a person likely to become burdensome to the settlement.

I am a paymaster on half-pay from the 66^th Regt. And I am also one of the Poor Knights of Windsor, the salary of which is about forty pounds a year, and a house in the Castle worth about as much more.

Now Sir, if land was allotted to me, a passage out, and some little assistance towards enabling me to make a first establishment, as it is an object dear to me in every way, every exertion, ability and means in my power should be directed towards succeeding, and which I should hope so far as individual exertion could go, would contribute towards the welfare of the Colony.

In a former letter, I mentioned my being a Lieut. In the 2^nd Batt'n of the 84^th Regt at the first taking of the Cape, and served with it at that time there. I have two sons in the army, and another preparing for it and three daughters married in the army, under [all] these circumstances, I hope in this business to meet with the countenance of Government and beg leave Sir to solicit you to lay this statement before Government in any manner you may think proper, and which shall ever be most gratefully acknowledged by Sir

Your most obedient and most humble servant

William MANSELL

Paymaster Half-Pay, 66^th Regt.

[footnote]I should propose taking Mrs MANSELL with me, and five children, grown up, nearly.

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 600

10 Lower Court, Windsor Castle

August 17^th, 1819

Sir,

I should not again trouble you relative to a settlement at the Cape of Good Hope if I did not conceive that a family of seven persons grown up, with, so far the means of subsistence as not likely ever to become burdensome to the settlement, independent of their exertions in that Colony, was not altogether an individual application, and under that impression, once more, beg leave, to solicit Lord BATHURSTs favourable consideration in granting me a settlement in that Colony, a country I know well, and where, I am fully confident, the exertions of such a number, with the immediate means of subsistence, independent of their exertion there, would so far add to the general good of the Colony, and therefore with every deference, hope for, and earnestly solicit his Lordships favourable consideration. I hope and entreat, Sir, you will pardon the trouble I give you in this business.

I am Sir your most obedient humble servant

William MANSELL

Paymaster, half-pay 66^th Regt.

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 608

10 Lower Court, Windsor Castle

August 19^th, 1819

Sir,

In compliance with your letter of the 18^th inst. I beg leave to make the following statement of persons proposing to go to the Cape of Good Hope, as settlers.

William MANSELL aged 58

Mrs. MANSELL aged 50

Their children

Mrs STEEL? – 28

Miss. C. MANSELL – 17

E. MANSELL – 16

D. MANSELL – 15

Master William MANSELL – 14

Miss E. STEEL? – 9

I beg leave to state that I was 15 years a Lieut. In the Army, and that I am now 11 years a paymaster. That I was a Lieut. In the 2^nd Batt'n. 84^th Regt. At the first taking of the Cape of Good Hope, and there with the Regt. Under these circumstances, I hope and trust I shall meet with the countenance of Government in whatever way they may think proper, as a settler at the Cape of Good Hope. What I should hope for, would be, first, a grant of land at the Cape of Good Hope. Secondly, as passage out for myself & family and thirdly some advance of money, stock or materials to assist the first settlement.

I hope I shall be pardoned, at once, stating the whole of my expectation of aid – and on my part I promise to endeavour, by every effort in my power and with all my means, the careful and well managing of whatever lands may be assigned [me] and so far as individual exertion, on my part, [I] can go, to promote the general interest of the Colony.

Soliciting, Sir, your kind consideration in this business, & which I shall ever gratefully acknowledge, I beg to subscribe myself

Your Most obedient humble servant

William MANSELL

Paymaster, half-pay, 66^th Regt.

National Archives, Kew CO48/44, 634

10 Lower Court, Windsor Castle

August 25, 1819

Sir,

The ardent desire and zeal which I have of becoming a settler at the Cape of Good Hope, and from having been a Lieutenant in the 2^nd Batt'n of the 84^th Regt. At the first taking of the Cape, will I hope and trust plead my apology for again addressing you on that subject, with the hope, that you will be pleased to lay my proposal before Lord BATHURST, or the Committee, or be good enough to point out to me, any other more proper mode of proceeding, and which shall ever be most gratefully acknowledged by me.

I beg leave to state, that I should propose taking with me, seven persons, of my own family, grown up – and my means for their not being burdensome to the Colony, are, Paymasters half-pay – and about £100 more arising from other sources here, which I can point out. Earnestly soliciting your consideration in forwarding my proposal through the proper channel, I beg to subscribe myself

Your most obedient humble servant

William MANSELL

Paymaster Half-pay – 66^th Regt.